Never Live It Down
by Michelle-And-The-Beatle
Summary: Just a normal day of training... Until Mikey accidentally discovers something about Raphael. Please Enjoy!


It was just another normal day in the sewers of Manhattan. The turtles were either in the dojo, training; or they were watching the TV. Splinter was meditating in a room above the turtles.

Raphael and Leonardo were training. Michelangelo and Donatello were sitting on the couch, watching the television. There was really nothing interesting on TV, so Mikey kept flipping the channels.

"There's nothing good on, Don," Mikey looked at Donatello. Don sighed, and looked right back at his brother.

"Do you wanna practice with Leo and Raph?"

"That's what I _didn't_ want to do today."

"Well, that's what I'm doing. You can come if you like," Donatello stood up and walked into the dojo. Mikey was left alone. He groaned before he, too, stood up and entered the training room.

"Hey, guys," Mikey sighed. He chose a punching bag next to Raphael and began punching and kicking at it. Raph was busy on the other one.

This was one of those rare moments when _all_ of the turtles were quiet. The only sounds that came from them were either sighs or grunts.

Master Splinter was even shocked. Usually, he would hear some sort of shouts or screams coming from his boys while he tried to meditate. Not a peep was heard from them, so he thought that something must be wrong. But he wanted to finish meditating before scoping out the scene below him.

Back in the dojo, Michelangelo accidentally brushed against Raph's side when he went for a kick to his punching bag. Raphael gasped and moved to the side.

"Watch it, Mikey," Raph growled.

"Sorry," Michelangelo apologized, but found himself wondering about Raphael's reaction to what he did. He just figured he startled the guy, since everyone was so darn quiet!

Leonardo saw was his younger brother did to Raphael, and he grew curious as well. He was busy doing sit-ups on the floor. He understood if Raphael needed to grunt in response, but he never expected him to gasp then flinch. If it was what Leo was thinking, this would make his day so much more interesting.

Leo stood up. He saw a small dumbbell right across from Raph. He reached for it, but 'accidentally' brushed his fingers along Raphael's side to get it. Raph had the same action as when Mikey did it, just that he flinched a bit more violently.

"Sorry, Raph," Leo tried to hide his smile when he felt his brother glaring holes through him.

"Don't let it happen again," Raphael huffed. He continued beating up his punching bag.

Leo took the dumbbell that he never needed and shared eyesight with Michelangelo. They both smirked, thinking the same thing. Leonardo took the first move by setting the dumbbell down and tracing his fingers along the vulnerable place between Raph's shell and plastron. Raphael snorted and flinched.

"What's your problem, Leo? Can't let a guy train for five minutes?" Raphael grew very defensive. Mikey attacked next. he dug both hands into Raphael's sides. The red bandana-clad turtle refused to laugh, knowing what his brothers were up to. He jumped and turned around to face Michelangelo.

"Stop."

"I never knew you were ticklish, Raph," Leo smirked at his slightly younger brother.

That caught Donatello's attention. He was busy practicing with his staff, but turned around when he heard the words 'Raph' and 'ticklish' used in the same sentence.

"I'm not! So why don't you two just lay off..." Raph snapped his head from Mikey and Leo to make sure they wouldn't try anything.

Raphael had been ticklish for as long as he could remember. It was up until this point that none of his brothers knew about it. He was busted now.

Raph was completely taken by surprise when he felt more devious fingers running up and down his sides. He laughed and turned around to face Donnie, who was chuckling.

Raphael was trapped. His three brothers closed in on him.

"If ye knew what was good for all of ya, you'd leave me alone," Raph tried threatening them. Just as one of them was about to strike, Raph jumped over Mikey and headed towards the door of the dojo. Leo, Mikey, and Donnie followed him. Raph saw Leo coming at him, and he hurdled himself over the back of the couch, only to land _on_ the couch.

All of a sudden, he was being smothered by his two younger brothers. They tried pinning him down to the couch.

"Get offa me!" Raphael yelled at them.

"Heh, no way, Raph," Michelangelo smiled. Raphael struggled as much as he could, but when Leo came over, he knew it was over for him.

Michelangelo pinned Raph's arms on each side of his head, and Donatello held down his legs. Leo climbed over Raph's pinned body and leaned over him.

"This won't be so bad, Raph," Leo smiled and began tickling his younger brother's sides. Raph bit the tip of his beak so he wouldn't laugh.

"N-Not... ticklish..." Raph said through gritted teeth.

Leo snorted, "Oh yeah. I can tell."

The turtles' leader dug his fingers more forcefully into Raphael's sides. Raph let out a snort of laughter before squeezing his eyes shut and bucking his body upwards.

"Hey, can we help, Leo?" came Mikey's voice. He was looking eagerly at Leonardo.

"Uh, sure. I don't see why n-"

But Leo wasn't able to finish what he was saying when he heard Raphael screech, then laugh uncontrollably. It made him extremely happy to hear his hothead-of-a-brother laugh.

Mikey was tickling just under Raph's underarms, and Donnie moved himself so he was tickling Raphael's two-toed feet. Raph was in hysterics. Leo continued tickling his brother's sides.

"Stahp! Ahahaha! I'll... I'll murdeher all of ya! Kn-knock it off!" Raph yelled through his laughter.

"You know, it's nice to hear you laugh, Raph. You should do it more often," Leo completely ignored what Raphael had to say. Mikey laughed when he heard Raphael squeal.

"I think we should stop," Donatello spoke up from behind Leo. He too pity on Raphael and got off his legs. This was taken as an opening for Raph. He kicked out his legs, which sent Leo falling off of him. And Michelangelo immediately stepped back from his brother.

Raphael was panting and curling up into a ball, hugging himself. He was trying to brace himself for another attack, but none came.

"Th-That was hilarious, Raph," Mikey giggled.

"Yeah? Then it'll be even funnier when I get you," Raph sat up straight. Michelangelo looked nervous. As soon as Raphael even flinched, Mikey was off. He ran up the matel stairs they set up a while ago and locked himself in the room he shared with Donnie.

Raph chuckled to himself.

"Which one of you is next?" Raphael pointed to his two other brothers. Donatello glanced at Leo. Raph stood up and Donnie was just as nervous as the youngest of the four. He darted out of the living room.

"I still can't believe you're _that _ticklish," Leo smiled at Raphael. He could've sworn that he saw Raphael blush at what he said.

"Yeah, it's not pretty..."

Leonardo couldn't help but laugh. Raph shot him a glare, before grinning as well.

"You ticklish, Fearless?" Raphael stood up and stood in front of his brother.

"No," Leo shook his head.

"Nah, I bet I could make ya laugh."

"I seriously doubt it, Raph."

Raphael poked Leo in his side. No reaction. Then the sai-bearing turtle dug his fingers into both of Leonardo's sides. That only resulted in Leo giving his brother a smug smile.

"Ah," Raph groaned and threw his hands in the air in defeat.

"You're just unusual, Leo."

"Unusual?" Leo had an amused tone to his voice. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah."

"How, exactly, am I unusual?"

Raphael didn't answer, and instead ascended the stairs to the room he and Leo shared.

"Is it because I'm not ticklish?" Leo yelled after him.

Raphael slammed the door behind him.

Leonardo decided to leave his brother alone for now. Instead, he went back to practicing in the dojo.

Raphael didn't even come out of his room for dinner. Leo was now worried that their actions upset Raph. When he finished eating his pizza, Leonardo walked up the metal stairs and knocked on the room he and Raph shared.

"Raph?" Leo knocked on the door again. There was no answer. Leo tried opening the door but couldn't. He knew there was never a lock on the door, so Raphael must've put something in front of it to keep it from opening.

"Really, Raph? Open the door."

Leonardo heard what sounded like furniture sliding across the floor. Then it stopped. Leo tried the doorknob again, and he was able to open it. He saw Raph on his bed facing the wall, holding one of his sais in his hand.

"Hi," Leo walked closer to his brother. Raph just kept twirling the sai in his hand. Leonardo cleared his throat and carefully sat next to Raphael on his bed. Raph took a quick sideways glance at his leader and stared back at the wall.

"You didn't eat with us. Is something wrong?" Leo rested a hand on Raph's arm, but he shook it off.

"Don't touch me."

"Why are you so angry?"

"It's none of your business," Raphael now looked at the floor. He rested his blade on the night stand next to his bed.

"Is it about you being tic-"

"Don't say it!" Raph warned, placing a finger in front of Leo's face. Leonardo couldn't help but smile.

"'S not funny..." Raphael looked back at the floor again.

"I can't believe that you're upset over that, Raph. It's nothing bad."

"Yeah, but I was embarrassed," Raphael mumbled.

_'So, this is what 'Embarrassed Raph' looks like. Never seen him before,'_ Leo thought to himself.

"We won't do it again if it bothers you this much," Leo said. Raphael looked at his older brother.

"I don't believe ya."

"Well..." Leo sighed, "Then, I don't know what else to say. I've never had to comfort any of you because of this type of situation. It's new to me."

"Yer not comfortin' no one, Leo."

"I know. I'm just trying."

"Hmph."

Leo was just stuck sitting next to Raphael, quiet. Unable to help. He didn't like it.

"If it'll make you feel better, I can tell you where Mikey and Donnie are ticklish," Leo said with a smirk. Raphael looked at him, no real signs of emotion on his face.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Fearless."

Leo didn't like how upset Raph looked about this. He knew that he would get it, but figured it was worth a try. Leonardo poked Raphael's side, which elicited a surprised squeak and a jump from Raph.

"Quit it!" Raph scolded Leo. Leo was fighting back a laugh, but a snort escaped.

"It's my job to make my brothers happy, Raph."

"Buzz off."

"Hehe, and _you_ don't seem too happy," Leo nudged Raphael's shoulder when he said 'you'. Raph grunted in response, and looked the opposite way from Leo.

"Smile for me, Raph," Leo gripped both of Raphael's shoulders.

"Leave, before I sock ya one in the mouth," Raph lifted up his fist as a warning.

"Fine, don't smile. Just be miserable for the rest of your life," Leo frowned at Raphael for being so stubborn and childish about this. He left the room without another word.

Later that night...

Leo had been talking and practicing with his brothers after he left Raphael alone. Still, he kept thinking that he was being too mean to his brother. Then again, Leo knew that Raph could handle stuff like that.

It was about midnight when Leo returned to his and Raph's room. He quietly shut the door behind him, so as to not wake up the figure of his brother in the bed.

"Raph?" Leo whispered, just to see if Raphael really was sleeping. He saw that the sheets covering Raph started moving up and down faster, most likely from a change in his breathing pattern.

Leonardo took off his case for his sword and placed it on the floor. Then he carefully walked so he was next to Raph's bed.

"I know you're awake, Raph. Because if you weren't, you'd be snoring."

As soon as he said that, Raphael was snoring. That made Leo laugh. He shook his brother's arm.

"Get offa me. I was tryin' ta sleep."

"Sure you were. I just wanted to talk."

"I'm over it, Fearless."

"Maybe not. I want to clear the air between us," Leo sat at the edge of Raph's bed. Raphael's back was still facing his brother.

"The air _is _clear. And get off my bed."

"I will, just give me a second. Does it really bother you_ that_ much that you're ticklish?"

"Yeah," Raph rolled onto his back, "Because I never wanted any of ya to find out about it. It's embarrassin'."

"I actually think it's a privilege to have."

"Yer only saying' that cuz you're not ticklish..."

"No, I mean it's good for _you_ to be ticklish because none of us get to see you laugh often."

Raphael was quiet after that. The room was too dark to see Leo. But Leonardo could see his brother perfectly in the dark. It was only Raphael out of the four turtles that couldn't see in the dark as well as the others.

"It's a nice sound, Raph. You should do it more often," Leo blinked. He could see Raphael looking at the ceiling. Then, just as he was lifting himself off of Raph's bed, he felt two strong arms wrap around his chest. Leo was taken by surprise.

Raphael was hugging Leo. Something he almost never did to anyone.

"I'm sorry for being a pain, Leo. I really am," Raph squeezed tighter before letting go of his older brother.

"No harm done, Raph..." Leo patted his brother's chest before standing and getting int his own bed.

After eve minutes of silence, Leo spoke.

"Does this mean we're allowed to tickle you now?"

"No."

"Okay," Leo chuckled. Raph smiled to himself, knowing that none of his brothers would ever let him live this down. But he was okay with it.

~The End~


End file.
